The Once and Future King
by Sonnengott
Summary: From the steppe to the Labyrinth into the Circle, searching for a Holy City... When the Ancients left Pegasus to flee from the Wraith, maybe not all they created and built was lost and destroyed.
1. Standing Stones

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything, not even this PC. So don't sue me._

_Author's note: My first try at English fanfiction. I'm not a native speaker, but after reading quite a lot in this fandom in English I decided to give it a try. The story's mapped out almost up to the end and I'll probably keep working on it anyway, but reviews will be greatly appreciated just to know whether I should just give up and forget about English or keep on trying... Oh, and I'd do almost anything to get an English-speaking beta. Really!_

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There was always a difference between the picture the MALP sent and reality. Although the view was exactly the same as the one the screens had showed, the world hit them with its reality and strangeness. It was different from most worlds they had encountered so far, no woods that had seemingly spread along with the 'gates across the Pegasus galaxy. Only windswept grass and a fine, dark line at the horizon. And the standing stones.

It had been those standing stones that had caught their interest and made them send a team. Teyla had only remembered the world was said to have been abandoned long ago, but the first pictures the MALP sent through the wormhole had been those huge needles of bluegrey stone.

"Welcome to Stonehenge", Sheppard muttered as they stepped away from the gate. The pillars accompanied the DHD like a row of guards, silent, dark watchmen facing the 'gate, preventing any ships from coming through. Even a Wraith dart, slimmer than a puddlejumper, would not have fit in between the standing stones.

"More like Avebury" McKay corrected. "Single stones, not a whole structure." He craned his neck to make sure he was right. Indeed there were no stones behind the 'gate, only the row in front, six couples. "If Avebury had been ingraved in Ancient" he continued and walked up to the first pillar, touching its surface with both hands, tracing the lines of the words with his fingers.

"They are new." Teyla knelt down next to another one. They had guessed as much from the pictures, fresh dirt around the base and nothing of the golden grass swaying in waves from horizon to horizon.

"Just like the inscription." Rodney unclipped his datapad without taking his eyes from the Ancient words carved into the stone. "All the markings are fresh. On a world with that much wind they wouldn't stay that clear for long."

As if his words had been heard by the wind, its force increased for a moment, whipped around the stones and the team and tugged at their uniforms. Teyla's hair flipped around like a copper-colored flame and she lifted a hand to pick some strands from her eye.

"This might take some time" Rodney announced, squinting while studying the words. "This seems somehow… strange. Even for Ancient."

"What do you mean by strange", Sheppard's gaze wandered lazily across the fine line of dark at the horizon. "Can your read it or not?"

"I can read parts of it. And it's easier without anyone disturbing my concentration" Rodney snapped. Sheppard rolled his eyes and stepped away from the scientist who was already sucked into the fascination of yet another riddle to solve.

"Why don't we just take pictures and translate it back in Atlantis?" Teyla asked and Rodney's head snapped up.

"Good question" Sheppard drawled. "It's cold."

"Oh, it's cold" Rodney mimicked. "You know what this could mean? This is Ancient, but the stones have been recently carved!"

"Are you trying to say the Ancestors put up these stones?" Ronon did not seem convinced.

"Does not look like their usual architecture" Sheppard commented, leaning against one of the standing stones. The inscription marched across the cold surface and he frowned, trying to make out the few symbols and words he knew.

"Oh would you just shut up?" McKay snapped and returned to studying something on his datapad.

"Does this mean Atlantis?" Sheppard asked and Rodney moaned, leaning back to send an angry glare to the pilot.

"What?" he asked back, his tone acidic.

"Holy city." Sheppard tapped the stone where those words were engraved.

Rodney stumbled to his feet and walked over, inspecting the stone. A deep frown dug itself into his forehead, then suddenly disappeared as revelation sunk in.

"Those who come for the holy city come in vain, the gates are… closed? Guarded? That word is strange, different from the one usually used…"

"So you CAN read this?" Ronon had stepped up to them, too. Even Teyla was now drawn in by the fascination that seemed to spill off Rodney in waves.

"The symbols are a bit strange and some of the words seem to be distorted but yes! This one has a lot of words I know!" Rodneys fingers touched the cold stone lightly.

"That's definitely something that Elizabeth would want to know about" Sheppard said and stepped back to let his gaze wander over all twelve pillars. "And _I_ would like to know about the ones who built this. Something tells me Ancients were not the type to erect monuments made out of standing stones."

"The … the hunters are among our stars" Rodney translated, oblivious to what happened around him. "The leader… king? The King of past and future sleeps."

"Are you kidding?" Sheppard interrupted him. "Since when do Ancients read T.H. White?"

"Listen, I'm just _trying_ to translate this, so could you please…" Rodney ended with his mouth gaping. He had turned away from the inscription and now gazed over Sheppard's shoulder who lifted an eyebrow questioningly and then turned around.

Dust rose at the horizon, a faint cloud of grey against the pale blue sky. And something dark was nearing, something huge spread out over the land. They could almost feel the vibration of movement in the ground, a low rumble emanating from the _thing_.

"What the…" Rodney began, but was immediately interrupted by Teyla.

"Wraith!", she hissed.

"Dial the gate!" Sheppard snapped and Rodney hastily turned around while the rest of the team lifted their weapons, watching the dark mass rushing towards them. The slight vibration in the ground grew stronger as if the earth itself were growling like a huge animal.

"Something's very wrong here" Sheppard muttered. "Ancients rebuilding Avebury. Wraith in a… stampede?" He squinted against the light of the alien sun. "Those are no Wraith" he said. "Teyla are you sure…"

A high-pitched whine suddenly filled the sky at the same moment as the stargate erupted in a flash of watery silver.

"That was fast!" Sheppard turned and headed towards the gate, but stopped when he saw Rodney still glued to the ground at the DHD, one hand hovering above the activation pad.

"That wasn't me" he said.


	2. Stampede

_A/N: As I said, it's mapped out and I'll probably just keep writing till it's done. Right now, the muses decided to send my plans for today to hell and urged me on to reread and finish the second chapter. So here you are, hope you enjoy it!_

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No one stepped through the gate, the event horizon stayed a calm, liquid silver. But even without anyone coming through to their side, the way out was blocked. The small ripples on the surface seemed to mock them while the dark mass enveloping the horizon came thundering towards them and the shrill sound of Wraith darts was already accompanied by dark silhouettes streaking across the sky.

"Just how much _can _gowrong at the same time?" Rodney squealed, stepping back from the DHD and fumbling for his own weapon. The other members of the team turned to open fire at the darts, the slim ships passed overhead, their engine's sound changing in shrillness in a ghastly Doppler-effect. Shimmering culling beams touched the ground and the team spread, moving among the standing stones, but not leaving their little protection.

The beams did not touch them, but they left drones on the plain, golden grass whipping angrily against their thighs. Immediately they lifted their stunners and started towards the humans cowering behind the stone pillars. A blast from Ronon's weapon caught one of them in the chest, Sheppard ran from one stone to the next and opened fire as soon as the first wraith appeared in his view. The wind increased, almost drowned out the sound of the Wraith engines and hissed like an angry snake among the pillars, combing the steppe into quickly changing designs of points and waves rushing around the stargate.

It was mad, absolute chaos. Wraith and humans ducked and hid among the rows of standing stones, bullets carved deep marks into the ornate engravings, destroying the phrases about the holy city. The blue lightning of stunning weapons danced over grass, then Ronon's blade found the throat of a drone and the bone-faced skull almost dropped off the neck, a gush of dark blood marred the backside of a stone pillar, already cooling in the icy winds. Rodney hid behind the last stone in the right row, inching around it while a slightly confused drone marched around it on the other side, then gunfire, then nothing but the sound of a body falling, muffled by grass.

For a single moment silence but the wind's whisper gripped the scene, before they realized a sound they had ignored up until now. The trembling of the ground had become thunder.

A huge, furred _something_ whipped past Rodney and he backed away against the stone pillar, a small sound escaping his throat. Both Wraith and humans hesitated and Sheppard had already turned around halfways to face the new threat when something hit the Wraith just stepping out from behind a standing stone. The end of a wooden shaft quivered, white feathers turning dark with Wraith blood. The drone stared at the projectile neatly lodged in its body, then simply dropped.

More arrows whistled past, many shattering against the pillars, some hitting the surprised Wraith, none coming near the team. Creatures, accompanied by dust and the rolling thunder of hundreds of hooves, charged through the strange stone monument and Sheppard squinted. On some of the creatures sat people. Saddles in bright colours stood out from dark golden and bronze fur, ribbons danced with the movement of bodies and the movement of wind. And, passing Sheppard, one of the riders turned around in a smooth movement and loosened an arrow from his bow right the moment all four hooves of his steed were in the air. The arrow felled a drone to Sheppard's right, placed exactly between the eyes.

"Don't shoot!" he ordered, screaming against the thunder of hooves. The mass of animals kept on rushing by, out of the corner of his eye he saw a Wraith simply being trampled into the ground. One creature dropped, hit by several shots of a stun weapon, and its rider hit a stone pillar with a sickening crunch, but still there came more, a whole herd, a stampede. He faintly heard Ronon's blaster behind him. "Do NOT shoot!" he hollered again. Whoever rode on those creatures, they concentrated on the Wraith. Better not anger a potential ally…

He turned just in time to see one of the creatures heading directly towards him. Only now he realized the things had horns, curved, sharp horns growing from their slim skulls. Reins dangled from the head of the animal, but the rider, just a silhouette in the dust with flying, golden hair, did not hold them.

Adrenaline surging through his veins Steppard backed away to one of the pillars, but the _thing_ changed its course, still heading for him. Against his own orders he lifted his P90, ready to fire if the locals turned out to be aggressive towards fellow humans, but before he could fire a single round the creature galloped past him.

Two strong hands caught hold of his vest and he found himself being hauled onto the strange animal, ending up in front of the saddle with his P90 caught between him and the golden fur, digging painfully into his stomach.

Instinctively he lashed out and hit the rider with an elbow in the ribs and the hands let go of him. Immediately he started to slip from the creature and grabbed a handful of a kind of mane, clinging to it for dear life as the ground rushed by in huge jumps, the golden grass whipping against his feet. "Oh sh…"

The hands grabbed him again and steadied him. "Don't fight!" a clear voice yelled, then was drowned by the shrieking sounds of a Wraith dart. Creatures and riders alike disappeard in a culling beam, suddenly everyone to the right of the animal Sheppard had been hoisted onto was gone. He craned his neck, trying to see more and thought he spotted Teyla on another animal a little up front, sitting behind a rider who lifted a bow. Arrows against Wraith darts.

"Here!" The rider once again grabbed his vest and heaved to get him upright. Somehow he managed to swing one leg up and behind the saddle and the man turned around, catching his free hand in a strong grip. Seconds later Sheppard sat behind the rider, much more comfortable than his previous position. The dark blonde, long hair of the man was tied back in a ponytail and Sheppard had to lift a hand to keep it from whipping into his face. The creature changed course seemingly in midjump and he decided it was wiser to hold on tight to the saddle before him. The steppe rushed by, culling beams cut into the herd and riders and animals spread, trying to avoid the Wraith who mostly managed to catch the furry creatures running at full speed, eyes wild and long ears flat against their necks. Sheppard realized they had probably already been running long before they had seen them and had kept on since then. There seemed to be a lot of stamina and strength hidden inside the wiry animals, although some had foam at their mouths and nostrils and sweat slicked their golden fur, they did not slow down, urged on by shrill cries of the riders.

A burst of red energy erupted from somewhere in the herd and barely missed one Wraith dart crossing the herd, dematerializing several more creatures. The next one hit and the dart pulled up, trailing smoke. The second one returned in a loop from a previous fly-over and seemed oblivious to the arrows that mostly missed the sleek machine.

Sheppard lifted the P90, then decided otherwise. There was no way he could fire and still cling to rider and animal at this speed. The report of a 9 mill told him McKay had probably decided to take the chance. And that he was still somewhere among the stampede and not inside one of the darts.

The second dart dodged another blast from Ronon's weapon and then obviously decided to give up. In a sharp loop he pulled up and followed the first one. Sheppard squinted into the sky, trying to guess where they were headed. It seemed as if they were just gaining altitude as fast as possible, not changing their direction towards the gate.

Still the herd did not slow down and Sheppard tugged at the clothing of the rider in front of him, coarse dark fabric adorned with bright red needlework. "They're gone!" he called. The rider nodded, nothing more. After a moment of grass and dusty sky rushing by Sheppard tugged again.

"So where are we _going?_" he asked. "Apart from away from the Wraith?"

The rider turned around halfways and Sheppard spotted bow and arrows in a quiver at his hip. A young face, beardless, smiled grimly at him, dark brown eyes with a slightly Asian look blinked against the dust. "Safety" he said and then nodded ahead.

Out of the golden grass rose bare rock, cleared of almost all plants by the ferocious wind. Cracks opened in the rough face of the stones, broadening into canyons as they drew nearer. Sheppard realized this must have been the dark line at the horizon. From up close, it was amazing, a hundred dark grey Ulurus just rising up from the plain. The herd finally slowed down and single animals, bearing riders, cantered lightly towards one of the canyons leading into the rock.

Sheppard spotted his teammates among them. Ronon somehow had managed to switch to another creature and rode on his own, the Satedan expertly swayed in the saddle with the gait of the animal and seemed perfectly comfortable. Rodney clung to a woman with grey streaks in her light-brown hair who seemed a little uncomfortable herself and tried to pry his fingers loose with one hand. Teyla, finally, was seated behind a tall woman with honey-blonde hair but the same almost Asian features Sheppard noticed on all of the riders.

"Thanks for the help" he commented. "But there's no need to keep going. We should rather return as fast as possible to the gate." The rider shook his head.

"No." He seemed to deem this enough of an explanation.

The woman who had given Teyla a ride nudged her steed closer with her knees, her hands almost not touching the reins. "You are safe here" she said with a slight accent. "Out there, there will come more. Inside the labyrinth, they cannot find us."

They passed the entrance of the canyon and the steep cliffs rose around them, blocking off most of the sunlight. The sound of hoofes and the jingling of little metal adornements on saddles and reins echoed off the naked stone.

"What do you mean by there will be more?" Teyla asked, her brow creased.

"Many more." The woman clucked her tongue und her steed slowed down into a trot and finally to a stop. The riders surrounding them did the same.

Teyla glanced at Sheppard, worry visible in her eyes. "I can feel something.." she whispered. The woman nodded.

"They have arrived" she stated as if that would explain all. "But now… please be quiet?"

"Why?" demanded McKay from behind.

Several people emerged from cracks in the canyon's walls and from behind outcrops. All of them held bows that were longer than those of the riders and on every bow there was an arrow ready. The weapons were not drawn out yet, but the men and women seemed capable of doing just that and loosening a volley of arrows within seconds.

"Because of them", the woman said and slid of her saddle, lifting her empty hands.

"Amay ahal", she obviously greeted the canyon people and even from several animals behind Sheppard heard Rodney gasp.


	3. Labyrinth

_A/N Obviously (to my surprise) there are people reading this, so here's another chapter reread and corrected. Into the labyrinth it is..._

For a moment, there was silence. Both groups seemed to study each other, both armed and ready, but both obviously unwilling to start a fight. Although the canyon people and the riders had some similarities – like their slightly Asian features – there were differences as well. Longer bows and less colourful tunics marked out those who had seemingly just appeared out of thin air while the riders had their clothes adorned with intricate needlework all over the brightly coloured fabrics. Two different people or just different status, Sheppard wondered.

One of the canyon people shoved his arrow back into a quiver at his hip and nodded. "Ma'may ahal" he obviously returned the greeting. "Where does your way lead?"

His eyes roamed over the group of riders, concentrating on the four offworlders a moment longer. The corner of his mouth twitched as his gaze rested on Sheppard, then his focus of attention returned to the woman who had spoken first.

"From the Labyrinth into the Circle to the Holy City" she answered calmly. She did not seem disturbed at all by the dozen bows ready to fire a volley of arrows. If these canyon people where just nearly as good as the riding bowmen had been, there would be lots of hurt or dead riders within seconds. And maybe some of Sheppard's team among them. Still, he held his tongue. And send a sharp glare to the others – Rodney in particular – to do the same. The scientist tried to lean forward as far as possible without shoving the woman in front of him off her steed. Ronon's gaze was dark, but his hands did not touch any of his visible weapons. Which said nothing about the hidden ones. Teyla, on the other hand, seemed calm and relaxed, sitting like a natural on the back of the strange creature the spokeswoman of the riders had just left.

"Is there any reason for us to let you pass?" the speaker of the canyon folk asked and the woman shrugged.

"We ride in the name of the Princess", she said. "Is that reason enough for you?"

The canyon people exchanged quick glances and finally the speaker nodded. Bows were lowered, arrows returned to their quivers. Everyone seemed to relax, including Sheppard, although he did not let his guard down completely. So far the people of this world had seemed more or less on their side, rescuing them from the Wraith in their wild stampede for the cover of the rocks. But the primitive, yet obviously effective weapons all around him and his team kept him on edge. Both riders and canyon people not only carried bows and arrows, but long, heavy knives, too. And every single one of them looked like they could use it, including the greying woman in front of McKay who looked rather pissed at his fidgeting behind her back.

"Food, water, shelter, as much as we can afford" the canyon man said. "Follow me."

Four of the canyon people including the speaker turned and walked ahead, deeper into the maze of cracks and gaps in the rough, dark grey stone. The rest waited. Most of the team's rescuers rode up to the spokeswoman and bowed in their saddles from the waist, then leaving without another word, returning to the herd left behind where steppe met stone. Only five of them remained plus the Atlantis team and urged their steeds on into the labyrinth of rock. The spokeswoman stayed on foot, but took the bright red reins of the animal carrying Teyla into her hand, leading it on. The rest of the canyon people followed behind, not hostile, but alert.

The animals were tired and stretched long, sinewy necks, breathing in and out with silent huffs of breath clouding in the cool air. Their slim heads mooved only slightly up and down, long ears flipped lazily and elegant tails with tufts of dark hair at the end coiled and uncoiled slowly. They looked like a strange kind of mixture of horse, deer and ibex, covered in thick golden-brown fur and with two slim horns rising from their foreheads. And their backs were logn enough to carry two riders, but not exactly in a comfortable position.

Sheppard tugged at the rider in front of him again and the man – boy? – turned his head, raising an eyebrow. "So this is _safety_?" Sheppard asked in a low voice. A grin tugged at the lips of the rider and he nodded.

"Relatively speaking" he answered, then smoothly slid off the saddle. He lifted a hand and helped Sheppard climbing off the animal with less grace, but unharmed. "No ship can enter the Labyrinth. It is even hard for them to locate us in here. The stones protect their people, just like the Steppe and the Ansay protect us." He patted his steed and the animal turned its head to nuzzle his hand.

"Great" Sheppard commented, for once not able to come up with anything else. He saw Teyla sliding off her riding creature with all her natural grace and nodded at her when she faced him for a moment. She nodded back, calm, but ready. He turned his head to find Ronon on food and McKay struggling to get off a creature, one hand clinging to the saddle and the other one to the shoulder of the woman with the grey streaks in her hair who had already dismounted. The physicist defintely was not a born rider.

"So.. what is you name?" Sheppard asked the rider after having made sure all of his team were still with them and obviously fine. The young man turned around, surprised, eyebrows raised.

"If you do not want to _wait_" he said, "I am called Ahn Doa." He shook his head, but did not ask Sheppard's name. Instead he concentrated on the winding path leading deeper into ever smaller canyons. John waited a moment, then several moments more. No one in the whole group spoke a single word and finally he cleared his throat.

"Lt. Colonel John Sheppard", he said. Heads turned and all the riders stared at him in disbelief. He started to feel rather uncomfortable with the sudden attention all focused on him when the spokeswoman whistled and the heads snapped back and the eyes studied the animals or the ground. Teyla turned around halfway and looked at him questioningly, eyebrows raised. He shrugged. Just _what_ had he done wrong?

"Thanks for the rescue, by the way" he tried again. And was ignored.

"You can leave the ansay here" the canyon man suddenly announced. They had reached a circular opening in the labyrinth of stone. Fine grass covered most of its ground and water leaked in small droplets out of one of the dark walls, there obviously was some kind of natural cistern somewhere above them. Several openings, covered by brown and beige fabric, led directly into the rock.

"Thank you", the spokeswoman of the riders simply said and started to take off bridle and saddle, the other ones followed while the canyon people waited and watched. Among the animals and the riders the team gathered, still pointedly ignored by anyone but the spokesman of the canyon people who kept his eyes fixed on them most of the time.

"Anyone who does _not_ think this is a little strange?" Sheppard asked. Rodney snorted.

"They behave friendly" Teyla said.

"So far" Ronon added.

"And no one seems to be willing to tell us just _why_ they suddenly decided to come in with a whole horde of huge furballs rescuing us just to take us along for the ride into Pegasus's monument valley." Rodney took a look around. "A bit small for monument valley, but you get my point. We should return to the 'gate and at least report this. Wasn't the whole planet supposed to be deserted?" He glanced at Teyla while moving from one foot to the other uncomfortably.

The Athosian lifted an eyebrow. "Several people visited this world. No one ever met any of the locals" she said calmly.

"But they seem to have been around quite some time." Sheppard nodded at the riders wiping the sweat of their animals. "Does not look like newcomers. They are used to this world and have adapted."

"Great for them" Rodney snapped, still fidgeting. "But what do _we_ do?"

"I say we stay… for the moment." Sheppard frowned at McKay's twitching. "Could you please try to just stay calm for a moment?"

Rodney stopped his strange movements and grimaced. "I'm not a riding kind of person" he complained. "And those… beasts are not actually comfortable."

Ronon snorted and ignored McKay's acidic glare. Teyla tried to hide a smile and turned her head slightly.

"Fine" Sheppard said and cut off more huffing by asking "Now why did you make that strange noise when she greeted those canyon people?"

Now it was Rodney's turn to smile. "You did not understand it? Of course you'd have to have studied…"

"McKay…"

"It was Ancient" the physicist finally said, his smile gone. "She spoke Ancient – terrible accent, probably, but I know those words. They mean…"

"Are you coming?"

They turned around to find the spokeswoman looking at them questioningly. Behind her, one of the riders was already ducking into one of the openings.

"Coming" Sheppard answered and followed her to the roughly hewn entrance. Behind the dark fabric was a tunnel, the ceiling barely high enough for him and Ronon. Small lamps, placed in regular intervals along the walls, gave off little light and quite a lot of stench. The riders did not hesitate to follow the canyon people, so Sheppard did the same. One of his hands rested on the P90 clipped to his vest, though, almost invisible in the gloom.

Then the tunnel opened into a kind of cave, the walls hung with more fabric, sewn to show simple pictures of bow-wielding people in dark colours, hard to make out in the flickering light of the lamps. Several more 'doors' probably led on to other caves and tunnels, cold air made the little flames of the lamps flicker and some of the curtains move silently. Was there any place on this world not touched by the wind?

One of the entrances was guarded by two men wielding long sticks with blades attached in right angles to the wood. Where that wood came from was a kind of mystery to Sheppard since he had yet to see a single tree, but the weapons looked dangerous and ready to be used – just like the wielders looked ready to use them.

The riders bowed and entered, then Ronon, Teyla…

Sheppard bowed and ducked slightly to follow through the low door, but a hand shoved him back roughly. He stumbled into Rodney and instinctively lifted the P90. Something hard hit him in the face and his legs just buckled while his had snapped back with the force of the blow, hands grabbed his arms and dragged him away from the entrance. He kicked at one of the canyon people trying to force him to the ground and hit something, a gasp of pain told him the something hurt.

"What the…!" The handle of one of the strange weapons hit his jaw and stars exploded brightly befor his eyes, someone's feet found his ribs and his breath rushed out of his lungs with a faint whisper, leaving him on the ground gasping like a fish. Hands tugged at his P90, then the clip was cut and his vest ripped open.

"Bastard!" he snarled and tried to lunge at the man holding his weapon, but several of them held on to his arms and with a stoic face like someone hammering a nail into a wall one of the guards hit him again, stomach, then temple.

When he found himself dry-heaving on the ground, fighting for breath, he realized Rodney had been shoved into the wall and stood there, hands lifted and a knife at his throat. Ronon and Teyla, back in the cave, had their own standoffs with the canyon people. The Satedan had whipped out the sword he usually carried on his back and the tip almost touched the face of a woman caught between him and cold stone, while someone else had lifted a bow and an arrow pointed at Ronon. Teyla held her own P90, facing one of the guards, but her eyes took in the other canyon people of whom most had either drawn knives or lifted bows, arrows ready.


	4. Mediator

_A/N It seems I might have found a beta! Which means less mistakes in future chapters, but this one and maybe the next one will only be reread and corrected by my humble self... Real life just decided to punch me in the face, so I don't know whether I'll be a) hiding in my room or b) working on this story like crazy to keep me distracted. I cannot predict when I'll be uploading the next chapter. Sorry. _

_I wanted to end this chapter a little earlier than I did now, but since people were wondering just what Sheppard had done wrong, I decided to put the answer into this one - who knows when the next chapter will be up. Thanks for the reviews and for reading this, right now it's about the only thing that makes me smile. Enough about me, on with the story._

The curtain moved and the spokeswoman of the riders ducked back in, her eyes wide and surprised. "What happened?" she asked and lifted her hands in a universal gesture of peace.

"The dardray tried to enter", the guard who still towered over Sheppard said.

"They are no dardray" the woman exclaimed and let her hands fall to her side. "They carry weapons!"

"Why should we know what you allow your dardray?" the guard asked, watching Sheppard who managed to stand, although his knees were still kind of shaky and a massive headache started to split his skull.

"They are free. Step back."

The woman suddenly emanated authority and reminded Sheppard for a moment of Weir and Teyla, both leaders and both with this strange kind of strength hidden until they needed it.

The canyon people slowly lowered their weapons and the woman of the steppe people gestured for Teyla and Ronon to do the same. The Athosian hesitated, but after a qick look around she obeyed. Ronon kept his intimidating stare focused on the man at the other end of his sword, then sheathed the weapon in a fluent movement, stepping back.

"Are you well?" the woman asked, just a slight hint of concern in her voice, looking at Sheppard and taking in the bruises already forming and a split lip.

John spat blood and glowered at the canyon people who muttered darkly at this, then at the steppe woman. "No" he said testily, "but thanks for asking."

She nodded, unperturbed. "I vow they are free", she said to the guard next to her. "Are they allowed to enter?"

The tall man hefted his strange weapon, then nodded. "Without weapons. All of you."

She hesitated for a moment, then took off the belt holding quiver and knife. The other steppe people, already hovering back at the entrance, did the same. Suddenly three pairs of eyes watched Sheppard for a sign.

He touched his temple and surpressed a wince. Primitive weapons, alright. But sometimes all it needed was just a piece of wood as Teyla had shown him several times. He nodded, feeling slightly dizzy. From reading Ancient scripture to a possible concussion in less than an hour, he was surely up for a record. "Do it" he ordered.

Ronon grunted, but handed over his blaster and his sword. And several knives that had been hidden on his body. The looks of surprise on the faces of the canyon people made Sheppard smile grimly. Maybe next time they would think twice about attacking the team. Teyla unclipped her P90 and both she and Rodney gave the 9 mill to the canyon people who handled the weapons carefully. Sheppard patted his thigh just to find his own 9 mill already gone, his knife also missing.

The woman gestured for them to enter and when Sheppard stepped past her she whispered under her breath "I'm sorry."

"A little late" he hissed back.

The room on the other side was not lit by the flickering, sickly smelling lamps that probably burned some animal fat to produce their little light. The cave – the walls hung with dark fabric adorned with small sewn and stitched people much more intricate than those in the last room – opened into a shaft leading upwards and allowing sunlight in. A little faint and rather silvery, but brighter than the oil lamps in the tunnels and Sheppard lifted a hand to ward off the brightness, his temple throbbing in rhythm with his heartbeat.

Rugs and pelts covered the ground, muffled their steps. The riders bowed, then knelt down in a rough semicircle, facing the three people sitting in the rays of light penetrating the stone. Thinking about several armed canyon people just outside of the curtain moving in the never-ceasing wind, Sheppard decided to kneel down, too. The team followed. They sat in silence and obviously waited – for something.

Finally, the person sitting in the middle of the cave lifted a hand and tilted her head, changing from obscure outlines against the light to an old woman with long, white braids falling down over a tunic adorned with dozens of little metal plates.

"Welcome to the Labyrinth" she said in a small, dry voice, high pitched like the sounds of a little songbird, slightly cracking with age.

The two silhouettes kneeling next to her stood and turned out to be younger women, almost girls still, whose tunics were simple and unadorned. Without a word, one lifted trays with cups and the other one stepped back to bring a steaming kettle from a small fireplace, almost invisible behind the light illuminating the old woman.

Still without speaking they filled the cups with graceful movements and handed each of the riders and the team one of them. The steam rising from the hot liquid smelled faintly like herbs and Sheppard threw Teyla a quick glance. She tilted her head slightly, a minimal shrug lifting her shoulders. Nothing she knew.

The steppe people seemed to be perfectly fine with what was going on, so Sheppard decided to follow the ritual. The last thing he needed right now was another misunderstanding with him ending up on the ground trying to bring up his breakfast. Oh, and there would be questions later on. A _lot_ of questions.

"So, what are your names?" the old woman asked in her dying songbird voice after receiving the last cup.

"Ani Dhia", the spokeswoman of the riders said. "Of the Damay. I am a messanger and rider for the Princess." She raised her cup and then took a swig of the tea.

"Ahn Doa" the rider who had pulled Sheppard onto his creature said. "Of the Damay."

"Gia Dhan of the Damay." Another man, his hair almost black, fitting his Asian features better than the honey blonde of Ani Dhia and Ahn Doa.

"Ea Lhin of the Damay." A young woman whose eyes were of a sparkling, mischievous green that seemed absolutely out of place in her definitely Asian face.

"San Sia of the Damay", the older woman who had taken care of Rodney said in a dry voice. All of them lifted their cups and drank the tea, every time the old woman sitting in the faint silvery sunlight nodded. Now it was the turn of the Atlantis team and Sheppard was almost pissed enough to brake the obvious rules of the little exchange, but swallowed it down with more blood from his split lip.

"Lt. Colonel John Sheppard of the United States Air Force" he said. The old woman hesitated, but finally nodded. It was hard to make out against the light, but he was almost sure to have spotted a wry smile on her wrinkled face. He lifted the cup, nodded at her and took a sip. It was faintly bitter and hot, but better than some other stuff people of the Pegasus galaxy called tea.

"Teyla Emmagan of Athos." Teyla followed the same little ceremony and seemed absolutely calm while doing so. It probably took more than a stampede and hostile locals living in caves to shake her self-control.

"Ronon Dex of Sateda." The same. Maybe even more so than with Teyla.

"Unh… Rodney McKay of Canada." Rodney joined their little club and lifted his cup, then very hesitantly sipped the tea. Sheppard almost felt like in a therapy group. 'Hi, my name is John and I come from earth and I happen to stumble across problems and hostile aliens everywhere I go…'

"So, what is your name?" Ani Dhia interrupted his wildly galloping imagination before a group of sweetly smiling green-eyed Asians could say 'Hi John, that was very brave of you….'

"Sama Sahande of the Shualay, I speak for wind and rain and sun", the old woman said, then drank her tea. The girls stayed silent, they had returned to their kneeling positions on eitehr side of the old woman, heads bowed. For the first time Sheppard noticed that they were the only people on this planet he had seen so far who did not have long hair. All the riders had ponytails held with leather strings and the canyon people, even the men, had worn braids hanging down their backs. It had to mean something, but the headache obnoxiously digging into his skull kept it out of his grasp.

"So… you say you ride for the Princess, ah?" The old woman cleared her throat, changing from ritual to conversation within seconds. "Lots of people got send from the Holy City in the past moons, but since the Hunters have come, no one arrived from inside the Circle."

She shifted her weight and lifted something small to toy with it, metal and bone gleamed between her fingers. "Will you tell me why you have come?" Her eyes – Sheppard could only guess but he thought they were very bright, almost white – suddenly rested on him with an intensity that outshone the weak sun of the world easily.

The headache drove a spike into his temple and he surpressed a wince, looking straight back at her. She smiled again and moved her head slightly, shadow and silver sunlight painted abstract lines across her wrinkles.

"We have been on the Steppe among the Scattered and now return to the Holy City to report." Ani Dhia set down her cup, the steam framing her tired face. "We only ask for shelter in the Labyrinth for one or two days, passing through into the Circle. Will you grant us this?"

The old woman laughed and suddenly her dry voice became the sweet chiming of bells, a youthful and beautiful sound that had been hidden somewhere in her dry, wiry body. "How can I not? In the name of sun and wind, in the name of the Princess, you are welcome among the Shualay. May the Labyrinth protect you." She lifted her cup again in a kind of mock salute and her hand cast a shadow across her face. This time, Sheppard could see her smile clearly. It was far younger than she seemed, the smile of a woman brimming with the fullness of life.

She drank, then handed one of the girls kneeling next to her her empty cup. "You seem tired" she said. "Rest, mend" here she threw Sheppard a glance and the corner of her mouth twitched, "and prepare for your journey. It will be dark."

She threw the something she had been fiddling with to the ground, the faint sunlight glinted off metal and a twisted cord with small bronze plates and pieces of bone attached almost disappeared in the soft fur she was sitting on. "Very dark."

She waved her hand dismissingly and the two girls stood, bowing before the riders who slowly got up from their kneeling position. The team followed and they were ushered out of the room with Sheppard trying to get the feeling back into his numb legs. How the riders – and Teyla and Ronon – could kneel that long without cutting off the bloodstream, was beyond him. At least McKay stumbled, too, and muttered something unfriendly under his breath.

The girls with the short hair led the way, past the guards and several other canyon people into a short tunnel opening into another clearing almost cut off from sunlight by the first plants other than grass Sheppard had seen on the planet. Looking rather like the standard Pegasus galaxy tree with smooth bark and lancett-shaped leaves rustling in the ever-present wind they shadowed the soft Labyrinth grass and a small stream of water trickling from a crack in the walls and disappearing into another. Several openings, again hung with coarse dark fabric, probably led to more caves or tunnels.

The girls bowed and returned into the maze of poorly lit passageways while the riders started inspecting the place. Sheppard caught hold of Ani Dhias tunic and she turned around, obviously not surprised.

"We need answers" Sheppard snapped. The headache had decided to turn the intensity up a notch and pounded against his skull from the inside. "_Now_."

She nodded, a look of sadness passing over her features. "I understand" she calmly said. Ahn Doa brought several rugs from one of the hidden caves and spread them underneath the trees. It was cold in their shadow, the wind that swirled down the opening in the rock easily passed through their uniforms, but when Ani Dhia gestured for them to sit, Sheppard followed her silent invitation. At least there was no tea involved this time.

"What do you want to know" she asked, crossing her legs.

"Where are we. Why are we here" Sheppard began.

"And why did those bone-headed guards decide we were not allowed in?" Rodney interrupted, one finger raised to point at John's split lip. Ani Dhia grimaced.

"The hair", she explained. "It was the short hair." She looked at them pleadingly. "They thought you were no free men - and those are not allowed to see the Mediator if they are not her personal property. It won't happen again."


	5. Answers

_A/N Seems like working was the weapon of choice...  
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„The _hair_?" Rodney blurted out. „You mean they ... because… of his hair?" He stared at John's usual ruffled hairstyle, even more spiky and mussed up now after a stampede and being roughed up by cave-dwelling people with a hair-fetish.

"And yours, too. But you did not touch a weapon", Ani Dhia explained. "I am sorry, as I already said. I do not think you are unfree where you come from, but I forgot to explain to the Shualay. They are kind of… narrow minded. Little sky above." She made a circling gesture with one finger poiting up to the trees cutting off the weak sunlight.

"You have _slaves_?" Teyla asked sharply and the woman frowned.

"Unfree." She seemed to search for the right word. "Serving."

Teyla's eyes had narrowed, but she remained silent. "Slaves aside, _why_ did you bring us here?" Sheppard rephrased his question, trying to ignore the throbbing behind his eyes.

"Safety." She nodded, emphasizing the point.

"Yes, I get that", Rodney muttered darkly. John ignored him.

"Safety from the Wraith, fine, and we're thankful for that. But we would like to return to the gate… the ring of the Ancestors and go back to our world. Maybe we can become trading partners or allies in the future, but right now…"

Ani Dhia shook her head. "No. You will accompany me and the Damay to the Holy City."

"And _why_ should we do that?" Sheppard's voice dripped with sarcasm. "Just because you said so?"

"I am a messanger for the Princess", she said, stubbornness in her almond eyes. "She said the King's Path had awakened and send me to find out more about it. She called upon me again while we were headed to the Ring and told me one of the Blood of Kings had come and the Hunters would descend from the sky. We hurried, we found you, we _rescued_ you and we are going to bring you to the Holy City as the Princess asked me to."

For a moment, all Sheppard could do was stare at her. Then Rodney nudged his side – fortunately the one who had not recently made contact with a boot – and mouthed '_Princess_' wriggling an eyebrow. If he started to crack any Kirk jokes, Sheppard decided, he would just knock the physicist out.

"Will you force us to come along?" Ronon asked darkly. Ani Dhia snorted.

"You have no other choice. The steppe is vast and often the Damay slip away from the Hunter's eyes, hiding among the ansay herds. But they will watch the King's Path. Next time, there won't be any Damay willing to sacrifice themselves to keep you safe. Thirty riders set out to find out who had awakened the King's Path. All thirty of them did ride with me without questioning my order to fight the Hunters. Seventeen survived, dozens of ansay died or were taken."

Ani Dhia's voice was cold, controlled. "Do you respect the dead where you come from? And if there _is_ someone among you of the Blood of Kings, your destiny will lead you to the Holy City. Whether I force you or not."

"Oh, sure…" Rodney muttered making his 'the primitive locals believe in voodoo' face. "A Princess told you, right? While you were somewhere on the steppe and she supposedly in this 'Holy City'." He actually lifted his hands to do the air marks.

Ani Dhia nodded, lips suddenly very slim and an angry spark in her eyes. Wind tugged at her blonde hair and some red tassles sewn to her tunic dangled in the draft. For the first time, John noticed the embroidery on her clothes depicted houses, low, squat houses with small, simplified outlines of people in front. And tall spires rising among those buildings, from her knees up to her neck.

"How?" he asked.

She opened one button on her tunic, carved from horn, and fished out a small amulet. A crystal set in a metal ring, a small golden light glowing inside. "She told me" she said again and the amulet disappeared behind the false facades of spires and houses. "Believe it or not. You are surely hungry and tired and maybe you want to take care of _that_" she nodded at John's split lip. "If one of you is of the Blood of Kings, use this."

She unfastened a bracelet and let it drop to the ground. Emanating cold anger, she stood and turned to head for one of the entrances.

"Oh, great. _Answers_" Rodney scoffed, but grabbed for the bracelet. It was a red string, knotted around several silver pearls, holding something roughly shaped like a snow crystal with a tiny green stone in the middle. "If we're not back at the gate within … oh four hours now? … Elizabeth will send a team through, anyway."

"On foot" Ronon said. "A puddle jumper cannot pass those pillars. And on foot they will probably never walk as far as this labyrinth."

"But maybe we will at least have radio contact." Sheppard snatched the bracelet away from Rodney - and almost let it drop when the stone suddenly lit up. Headache and tender ribs, even his upset stomach disappeared in a rush of cold passing through his whole body. Rodney stared at him.

"Your lip" he said. Sheppard lifted his hand holding the bracelet. The light inside the small stone wavered, then disappeared.

"Are you well?" Teyla asked, softly touching his shoulder, concern in her brown eyes.

"Well?" John asked back. "Much _better_. That thing is some healing device!"

"_Ancient_ healing device" Rodney muttered. "Why do they… how…?"

"Speak clearly" Ronon interrupted and the Canadian drew a deep breath.

"She has Ancient devices. I am sure that thing around her neck is one, too. She knows what they do and the amulet was even _activated_!"

"And she is watching us" Ronon added. Sheppard looked up to see Ani Dhia standing in one of the entranceways, holding the fabric aside with one hand. A smug grin passed her face as she nodded calmly, then she let the curtain drop, disappearing from view.

"Blood of Kings" Teyla said thoughtfully.

"This is ridiculous…" Rodney made some helpless gestures with both hands, then sighed. "As far as we know, the Ancients passed on the ATA-gene - on _Earth_" he whispered, suspiciously eyeing the Damay entering and leaving caves. "So how come these people know about it and obviously also have it – how else could she have some activated device? And know how to use it?"

"That's what we'll have to find out." Sheppard closed his hand around the bracelet and weighed it thoughtfully. "We have never come across any device like this, right?"

Rodney snorted. "If we had, I wouldn't go to Carson and undergo his medical mumbo-jumbo." He creased his brow. "Good question. If the Ancients had anything like this, we should have found it in At…" He broke off, glanced around and continued, "at home."

Ahn Doa stepped up to them, a grin plastered onto his young face. "Hungry?" he asked. "The Shualay gave us food and drink and shelter. It's not a dhiya, the wind creeps in everywhere, but there are enough blankets for dozens of people, so you're gonna be fine."

"Food?" Rodney stood. The rest of the team followed and Sheppard had to admit to himself – now that the sickness had miraculously vanished – that he was more than hungry. He was _starving_.

Teyla looked at him, searching for some kind of guidance or anything. He shrugged. "Let's eat."

They followed the beaming Ahn Doa to one of the entrances, but the feeling of Ani Dhia's watchful eyes behind another curtain never left Sheppard.


	6. Silence

_A/N Double thanks now to bluetoads, my beta. She did not only do a great job helping me with this chapater, she also pointed out I had it messed up somehow when I uploaded it. There seems to have been some accident with saving and renaming and uploading an in-between version and... I exchanged it now. Only excuse is: I worked on it half past five in the morning. Without coffee. It's half past eight now, but I still didn't have any so if there are still parts with comments left anywhere just - kick me and tell me. Thanks for reading._

What the Damay had called food turned out to be reconstituted dried meat – still salty and hard to chew – and some kind of cereal boiled in milk that they ate out of wooden bowls using tools somewhere in between a spoon and a spatula. There also were several plates heaped with slices of fresh vegetables and fruit and Ea Lhin – the green-eyed girl – sorted through while Rodney hovered over her shoulder and interrogated her on whether she had ever heard of lemon or any kind of citrus.

Giggling, she threatened him with some orange fruit and Rodney shrank back, muttering a sarcastic "Ha-ha, _really_ funny" under his breath. But when she rearranged the food and winked at him, pouting, he could not stop a grin from spreading across his face. Ea Lhin seemed to take his bickering and complaining about the food in stride and did not retaliate in kind – she even seemed to enjoy it, smiling and first calling him Roa Nhi Ma Khi, and then Do Ku Do Roa Nhi Ma Khi. When he got tired of her butchering his name he explained the idea of a title, first name and surname and she cut it down to Roa Nhi.

Gia Dhan was the exact opposite to Ea Lhin. He sat in a corner without speaking a single word, slowly eating his gruel, and watched the team. When he noticed Ronon and John staring back, he calmly nodded, but kept on studying them. His dark eyes were thoughtful and John remembered Ani Dhia's list of casualties and did not like the way the man seemed to measure them. What if these people suddenly decided they had not been worth the sacrifices?

The older woman, San Sia, handed out the helpings of the gruel from a fire-blackened kettle and smiled when John came back a fourth time for more. He was usually someone who could easily go on for days with just some dry toast and water without realizing his hunger, but right now he suddenly stuffed down more of the strange food than Ronon. Teyla and the Satedan silently watched him eat, curious looks on their faces.

Ahn Doa tried to start some conversation by chattering away about the team's strange clothes and where Sateda, Athos, Canada and You Nai Ti Staa Ti Su Ea Foa Su were located. Getting no clear answers from anyone but Teyla, who tried to be as friendly and open as possible without giving away too much, he finally gave up and started singing a small, melancholy song in a strange language. McKay withdrew from Ea Lhin who was trying to stuff even more fruit into the Canadian. He ended up next to Sheppard, leaning against the stone wall which was covered with simple, coarse cloth, checking his data pad – which thankfully had survived both the stampede and canyon people.

"Found any lemon, Roa Nhi?" Sheppard asked, setting his bowl aside. The hunger was finally gone, but he still did not feel really full. The astro-physicist snorted and used a plastic stylist to scribble something down on the touch screen of the data pad. Several lines later he handed the device over to John, who studied the scrawl, frowning.

'_Reasons for not trusting these people' _it read.

_1. Obvious: they've got slaves._

_2. Just as obvious: they won't let us go._

_3. Ancient devices. Activated Ancient devices._

_4. They talk about 'destiny'. Never trust anyone using that word._

Sheppard nodded, then took stylist from Rodney and added _'5. Some of them seem to like you'_ and pointed at Ea Lhin now happily chatting away with Ahn Doa. Rodney craned his neck to read what he had written, then scowled. He snatched both pad and pen back and scrawled furiously away. When he finally handed it back, half the screen was filled with his handwriting.

'_Ha-ha, I'll laugh when we're back in Atlantis. Seriously, this is strange – even considering our usual kind of strange. They use bows and arrows to fight the Wraith, but they have Ancient tech we've never even heard of. And there is some serious religious thing going on, Princess and Blood of Kings… If they're planning to marry you to their Princess because of the ATA gene I'm never going to let you forget this, you know that, Kirk?_

_Oh, and besides that, that Ani Dhia woman is creepy.'_

The moment Sheppard reached the last sentence; Ani Dhia entered the cave, pushing aside the curtain. A cold gust of wind accompanied her and outside the light had dwindled to a grey dusk. Without a word, she sat down. After exchanging a quick glance with San Sia, the older woman handed her a bowl and she started eating, not once looking in the direction of the team. Rodney picked up the stylist again and added a '**_SEE_?**' underneath his previous message.

He unclipped the LSD from his belt and tapped its surface, then fiddled with the controls. Finally he held it up for Sheppard to see. Several dots indicated the team and the Damay in the small cave. That was all.

John opened his mouth to ask whether the detector was broken, but Rodney shook his head and pointed at the data pad. Frowning, he grabbed the stylist.

'_The caves cannot be empty. Where are the cave people?'_

Rodney leaned over and took the stylist from Sheppard.

'_Something is blocking the LSD.' _

He had reached the end of the screen and wiped away everything else, handing back the pen. John stared at the last message, then scribbled _'Do we have radio contact?'_

Rodney shook his head, his eyes solemn. _'I guess not'_ he wrote. _'Control should have dialled this world several minutes ago to check up on us – and nothing but silence. Either we're out of reach or this labyrinth blocks all signals.'_

'_Great'_ John scribbled. Atlantis would send a second team which would follow a search pattern and hopefully not encounter another couple of Wraith darts. More teams would be sent. And finally – as a last lifeline – the Daedalus would head for this solar system. _'How far from Atlantis are we?'_

'_Far'_ Rodney answered and kept on writing two more lines of their silent conversation. _'Several days for the Daedalus, I think. If it would be of any help.'_

'_What do you mean?'_

'"_Hunters are among our STARS" And remember the darts? They just headed for the sky, not anywhere in particular.'_

John hesitated, then took up the pen again. _'You are trying to say the Wraith are in orbit?'_

Rodney nodded and leaned back. Sheppard wrote a single word, in capital letters, then handed the pad back.

'**_CRAP'_** it read.


	7. Circle

_A/N So... another chapter done and ready with great help from bluetoads. She's rather a co-author than a beta and comes up with all the little details I miss - and the differences to the German dub concerning the characters and language. Amazing, how much a different voice can change a character... I hope it is the right version of the chapter this time and I did not overlook any parts not corrected yet, but it's not half past five this time and I've had enough coffee to be at least half awake. Hope you enjoy!  
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"I can feel them all the time, vaguely. Like during the siege." Teyla sat down next to Sheppard, one of the coarse wool blankets around her shoulders. The cold seeped into their little sleeping cave, complete with 'facilities' that were nothing more than a hole in the ground, and they had all wrapped themselves in several layers of wool and fur to keep the icy draft out.

"So McKay's right. They're in orbit." John fiddled with the bracelet. The small green crystal had stayed cold and dead since his sudden healing. He had positioned himself next to the entrance and every now and then the curtain moved far enough to show the trees outside. They were slowly appearing out of darkness while dawn crept into the sky. He had decided to take the last watch. None of the team really trusted the Damay. Teyla had woken early and left Ronon and Rodney snoring in the back of the cave.

"There are many, I think." The Athosian frowned, her head cocking slightly to the side, as she seemed to listen to some inner voice only she could hear. John thought it was kind of creepy every time she did that thing where she used her telepathic abilities to reach out for those of the Wraith. "Some close, some very far away."

John nodded. "Figures. Hives' in orbit, patrols in the atmosphere and of course…" He paused for a moment and tied the bracelet around his wrist and then sounding thoroughly disgusted added "…darts send to cull this world."

Teyla shook her head. "It is not like a normal culling, it… it feels different. I could…"

"Don't" Sheppard interrupted her. "Don't risk it." He glanced at Teyla and thought she looked hurt for a moment, but then she nodded.

"I understand."

They both sat in silence for a moment. After they had withdrawn to their own cave, they had discussed McKay's theories and their situation. Without weapons, chances of fighting their way through Damay and canyon people and reaching the 'gate were slim, so they had decided to wait and see. But they would be ready for anything.

A rustling drew Sheppard's attention to the outside and he raised a hand to lift the curtain aside just enough to take a peek into the natural atrium amidst the dark grey stone of the labyrinth. Faintly outlined by the first light of day, a lone silhouette kneeled underneath the trees next to the small stream. Whispered words were almost lost in the never-ceasing wind, but the strangeness of the sounds and the bright vowels, rather sung than spoken, reminded Sheppard of the greeting the Damay and canyon people had exchanged after they had fled to the Labyrinth. It sounded like Ancient to him – or what McKay had identified as being Ancient.

Sheppard stood, but gestured for Teyla to remain in the cave. He drew the curtain aside and stepped out into the clearing. The muttering stopped and the kneeling silhouette rose. Faint light caught in Ani Dhias blonde hair as she faced Sheppard, her Asian features unreadable. In the twilight she looked like a strange kind of feline creature, half-wild with a golden mane framing her face.

"We've got to talk" Sheppard said. She nodded and suddenly looked very tired, the wildness gone from her hazel eyes.

"Will you come with me?" she simply asked, looking up to meet his gaze. He hesitated for a moment, surprised by her sudden directness.

"Uh, it's not like we don't want to help, but…"

"I do not want to force you" she interrupted him. "I'm not even sure I could. But the Princess – her orders are clear. If someone of the Blood of Kings enters our world, they have to come to the Holy City. It is said… it is said it is the only hope to bring back the days of old. And now that the Hunters have come to our world..." She stopped, averting her eyes.

"Listen…" Sheppard lifted his hands and she turned her head again, frowning slightly. "We would love to help you. Really. But right now we have to contact our people and warn them about the situation. And report in that we're alive and fine."

She nodded slowly, then rubbed her forehead as if trying to get rid of her frown. "I understand" she said in a small voice. "The point is" she looked up and there was a cold intensity in her eyes that reminded him of McKays opinion of her. Creepy. "We have no time. I have not been in the Circle since half a year ago, but the Shualay tell me that their trading partners have not come since the Hunters arrived. The steppe protects the Scattered of the Damay, the Labyrinth protects the Shualay digging for its secrets, but the people inside the Circle…" She dew a deep breath.

"The people inside the Circle and outside the City have no protection whatsoever. Like the people of the coast. And I have seen the smoke rising from the fisher's settlements and the darts circling and sending down their nets of light. If we do not hurry _right now_ there will be very little left to save. I _need_ you. Do I have to beg? Do I have to beat you unconscious and drag you to the City with a rope around your neck? I'd be willing to do both or…" a wry smile passed her face "at least try." She nodded at someone behind John's back and when he turned around he saw Teyla standing in the entranceway, her face dark.

"I don't think you'll have to do either" he slowly answered, turning back around to face her. "But you have to understand…"

"I _do_ understand" she snapped. "But you have to understand _me._ People are dying, people I am _responsible _for and I'll do anything to stop the Hunters from taking them all in their search for the City." She tilted her head, studying him. "Something tells me you understand that very well" she whispered.

"I do." His thoughts raced… He did not know this woman or any one else on this world and she probably could tell him anything to convince him. She changed from friendly and open to cold and calculating in the blink of an eye, but still…

"I only need _you_, though" she interrupted his thoughts. "You have the Blood of Kings, or the Healer would not have worked for you." She pointed at his wrist where the stone of the bracelet caught the first true light of the dawning day. When he lifted his hand to untie the little Ancient gadget, she shook her head.

"Keep it", she said. "I am not of the Blood. Sua Nhin was, but she… she is with the Hunters now. Maybe you will have to use it again. If you come with me" she changed the topic once again "that does not mean your people have to accompany you. They can return and report, I will send to the Scattered for protection."

"We will not leave the Colonel behind." Teyla stepped up to them. Her voice was calm, but her eyes were fierce. She and Ani Dhia measured each other and for a split second John thought they would be at each other's throats. Then the steppe woman shrugged.

"It is _your _decision. I can also ask some of the Scattered to send a message to your world."

A gust of wind tugged at the women's hair and the red ribbons sewn to Ani Dhia's tunic, filling the silence with a low, moaning sound. Leaves rustled, the trees whispering among each other.

"How can I trust you'd actually do that?" Sheppard finally asked. Smoothly, Ani Dhia knelt down and raised her hands, palms outward.

"I swear on the Princess and the King and the steppe that I, Ani Dhia of the Damay, will send a message to your people telling about your situation, your whereabouts and your reasons for not returning - without any falseness" she said in a strange sing-song voice. When she rose again, she looked at both him and Teyla expectantly.

"I guess you're serious" Sheppard remarked, stunned. "One more thing, though – (,) we need our weapons back."

She nodded, a slight frown on her face. "Of course. How else would you fight against the Hunters if we came across them? You are free people and no dardray. Your weapons will be returned to you, just as our weapons will be returned to us." She drew a deep breath, taking in the crisp morning air. Exhaling, the warmth of her breath painted a faint cloud framing her Asian features before the wind took it away.

"You better wake your friends" she said. "Dawn has come and we will leave soon." With a nod, she turned to enter another cave. As she lifted the curtain, John spotted a smiling Ahn Doa sitting inside next to the entrance.

"Seems like we're going to see a Holy City." Although trying to sound cheerful, John felt a feeling of foreboding. They were about to travel across a world going through a culling. Teyla watched him for a moment, her expression unreadable, before she turned to enter their cave, rousing Ronon and Rodney from their sleep.

Maybe half an hour later men and women with short hair had brought breakfast. A tasteless light bread with more fresh vegetables and a strong tea to drink while they sat down with the Damay. The steppe people spoke little while eating, only Ea Lhin chatted happily with Rodney. She actually seemed to like both him and his conversation and started drawing lines into the soft fur they were sitting on while they talked, their words too low for Sheppard to overhear.

His hunger had receded back to his normal level and he was first to finish breakfast, leaning back to watch the Damay. Ani Dhia was concentrated and silent, just like San Sia and Ghia Dan, preparing for what lay ahead. Even Ahn Doa seemed less cheerful, a strange kind of melancholy in his eyes while he sipped a cup of steaming tea.

Finally the short-haired people – dardray – returned, taking the bowls and cups with them. A woman knelt down and, while keeping her eyes lowered, informed them the Mediator would see them to the border.

They rose, packed what little they had and were handed bags full of bread and dried meat and leather flasks filled with water. When they were ready, Ani Dhia stepped up to John. "It is a great honor to be sent to the Circle by a Mediator of the Shualay. They may not be of the Blood and most of them never were to the temples of the Holy City, but they have their own kind of wisdom." Her shoulders straightened. "I have to thank you, once again, for coming with me. But…" she smiled "for me to keep my promise you'll have to give me the address of your homeworld."

"Already done" McKay quipped from behind. "Ea Lhin knows."

Both Sheppard and Ani Dhia turned around, surprised. "Fine" the steppe woman finally said and headed for the green-eyed girl. Rodney came up to Sheppard, data pad in hand.

"I gave her the chevrons for the Alpha Site" he explained. "No harm done. And she told me some very interesting things about this world." He lifted his data pad and touched the screen which lit up and showed a rough diagram.

"The Circle is called the Circle cause it's obviously… a circle." Sheppard nodded. The picture showed – a circle. Plus a dot right in the middle and a twisting line to the left. "Exactly in the middle lies their so-called Holy City. She's never been there, but she was pretty sure about that. Lots of temples, obviously. And this" he pointed at the wavy line "is where the coastline is supposed to be. The point is – a perfect circle with a city right in the middle? Seems a little strange."

"Everything about this world seems strange" Sheppard whispered under his breath, eyeing the Damay getting ready for their travel.

"I know. But this… you want to hear my theory?" He waited for Sheppard to nod before he continued. "Impact. Something impacted on this continent and whatever this city is, it's placed right at the heart of a huge impact crater."

"And what does that mean?"

The scientist shrugged. "I'm not sure. But it's a very strange kind of coincidence." He switched off the data pad and stuffed it back into his backpack. "Just keep it in mind."

Right then another couple of dardray arrived and handed them their weapons. The Damay slung belts holding quivers and knives around their hips. While the team checked their P90s and 9 mils and, in Ronon's case, his sword, knives and blaster, Sheppard realized they might have been disarmed, but to disarm Rodney, one would have to take his brain away. He nodded reassuringly at the rather nervous looking scientist, and then the dardray led them through the maze of tunnels, caves and clearings. A tense kind of silence had settled onto the small group and Sheppard caught himself fiddling with the healing bracelet several times before they suddenly stepped out of the last tunnel into a canyon.

The old woman was already there, sitting cross-legged on some kind of open sedan chair, armed men and women as well as dardray at her side. The pale light of the world's sun took away some of the magical aura that had surrounded her the first day they had met, but it also showed the intensity in her clear, bright eyes.

The Damay knelt down before her and she lifted her right hand in a gesture of blessing, speaking words in the language that was obviously a kind of Ancient. Sheppard decided to keep standing and the team followed his example. Some of the Shualay frowned at this affront, but the old woman just smiled an almost toothless smile and repeated the same gestures and words for them.

"The wind tells me your journey won't be easy" she said in her strange, old songbird voice. "Which is obvious. It also tells me this world will change once you reach the Holy City of the King. Do not despair, do not give up, you will get to the city. Though I cannot promise you will get there unharmed." She laughed and again she seemed to be decades younger for a second. "Go with my best wishes. May the wind be a guardian and brother to you."

When the Damay stood and bowed one last time, John simply said "Thanks" and the Mediator smiled. She made a dismissive gesture with her hand and the Damay set off, walking down the canyon. The team followed.

"No – what do you call it? Ansay?" Teyla asked. Ani Dhia shook her head, glanced over her shoulder for a second.

"We only brought six of them along and they cannot carry two riders for long" she explained. "And outside the steppe, hiding is easier on foot."

"What's the terrain inside this Circle?" Ronon, silent until now, closed the distance to Ani Dhia with long strides.

"Very different from the steppe", the Damay woman said and flicked her long ponytail of honey-blonde hair back. "Water, small lakes, woods. Lots of fields and small villages and farms. The soil is rich and the people of the Circle produce enough food to supply themselves, the Holy City and huge parts of the Labyrinth. They also are traders, transporting ore and precious crystals from the Labyrinth people like the Shualay to the City and amulets back to Labyrinth and steppe. And being so close to the Princess and the Holy City, they are peaceful people. Not many weapons among them." With the last words, her voice became grim.

Ahn Doa and Ea Lhin both stopped for several heartbeats to string their bows, their movements quick and routine. When she was done, Ea Lhin walked next to Sheppard and he saw her slipping a broad ring of metal onto the thumb of her right hand, then fingering the taught bowstring, holding it securely behind the ring. He had only seen modern archery before, fiberglass bows, pulley, and aluminium shafts. These weapons were totally different, both primitive and elegant at the same time. And the Damay surely knew how to work them.

The canyon opened into a broader one and that one finally ended just like the one that had led them into the Labyrinth a day ago. The land fell away from where they stood and they had a good view over woodland and the silvery surface of a lake. The wind was stronger here, free of the twisted pathways of the Labyrinth. It seemed a little warmer than on the steppe, less fierce, almost tame as it played with hair and the colourful adornments of the Damay's clothes. And it carried the faint, but fresh smell of burning wood.

"Into the Circle" Ani Dhia said and she and Sheppard took the first step together, heading for the woods beneath them.


	8. Ashes

_A/N: This was supposed to be longer, but... I decided to cut this in half and merge the rest with the next chapter. It simply felt right to do so. The next one will be longer, but it'll probably also take a little longer to finish it. Oh, and it's getting darker... Thanks again to bluetoads! _

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A faint path led down the slope and into the woods, trampled into the ground, but slightly overgrown in places. Wet grass and red-leaved tendrils brushed against their legs. A group of small, furry animals skittered away into the underbrush when they neared the woods. The wind, passing over the lake to their left, sighed melancholy. Fat pink heads of some kind of water plant nodded slowly in the breeze. Everything seemed peaceful, out of a travel advertisement, grass and foliage a luscious green, the water clear. A small water bird crossed the open water hurriedly, and then dived, halfway to the distant edge of the lake. But still…

The smell of burning wood, one moment strong, the next faint, but never disappearing completely, told of something hidden somewhere in the picturesque landscape. And the silence was unnerving, even the few animals crossing their path hurried away, making little noise, or just froze in panic. A small creature ducked into the grass, its whole striped body quivering with quick breaths and fear when Sheppard passed by maybe two feet from it.

Ani Dhia, Gia Dhan and San Sia also strung their bows on reaching the forest. On foot they missed some of the easy grace they showed on the backs of their ansay, but with their long hair and primitive weapons they fit perfectly into the landscape. Just another strange kind of wild creature, ready to hunt or flee. They reminded John of Teyla when he'd first met her, running through underbrush at full speed without being hindered by the brambles and loose soil. A quick, graceful creature of the wild. A leader of people, he reminded himself, a warrior and a good friend. He didn't know about the Damay – maybe more than complete strangers, but still far from allies. With the strange bone rings on their thumbs they were ready to snatch arrows from the quivers, draw and shoot. They seemed tense, but not one of them hesitated.

Together they walked deeper into the forest, following the path. The pale sunlight filtered through the trees' foliage moving in the wind painting ever-changing designs of light and shadow on the underbrush and the people that had entered the forest's realm. Something small and furry scrambled up a tree-trunk and disappeared from view. A spider-like creature lazily turned in the breeze, hanging from an almost invisible thread. Avoiding the alien bug like any other of its kind, Sheppard stepped off the path. Thin chitinous limbs slowly waved through the cool air, weaving finest filaments into something new. When Ronon passed by, almost touching the thing's thread, it hastened up its silken lifeline. Whenever they came across anything living, it fled from sight. No post card-picture deer blinking in the half-shadow of trees, no birds singing. The beauty of the landscape seemed hollow, a stage with the actors hiding behind the painted backgrounds. _Hiding from what?_ Sheppard wondered worriedly

After walking half an hour without any word spoken but the occasional warning about tree-roots or brambles they came across the first origin of the burnt smell.

Someone had made a living in the woods, created a clearing, planted flowers and vegetables, and had built a small wooden house with a stone chimney. The stone chimney was about the only thing still standing upright and unscathed, though blackened by fire from the outside. The roof had collapsed. The formerly strong, thick beams of wood splintered and burnt. It almost looked like the house was a dead creature, its backbone broken with the fragments of bones sticking out of the charred flesh. Plants had been trampled down; around the dead husk of the house they were dry and withered from the heat.

"Why would the Wraith do this?" Teyla whispered. She stood next to Sheppard, her P90 half raised. "I have never seen them destroy any buildings. They cull and leave, houses do not mean anything to them."

"No idea" John whispered back. A quick glance told him the Damay stared at the still slightly smouldering ruins, their faces empty. Ea Lhin blinked, her mouth opened without a word coming out, and then she turned around, facing the trees. Ronon slowly approached the burnt down house, stepping over the traces of heavy boots cutting through the once perfectly tended garden.

John readjusted his grip on his P90, and then followed Ronon. Trampled fruit made squishing noises under his feet and he grimaced. A sickeningly sweet smell lingered in the air, carried away by the wind for a moment, and then returning. It had been almost imperceptible among the smoke still lazily coiling in the breeze, but it grew stronger with every step. Then Ronon gestured and he stepped up to the tall Satedan.

In a patch of some long-leaved plants lay the already swollen corpse of a Wraith drone. A sickle was embedded in its forehead, the tip re-emerging at the temple. Dark blood had seeped into the moist earth and although no animal had touched the body, the bacteria had not been as picky.

Without a word, John and Ronon continued to walk around the remnants of the small building. Burnt plants crumbled to ashes under their boots, only fine grey powder left from what had once been a rich harvest. Something among the burnt beams of the house caught John's eye and he stepped closer. And then froze.

A hand, blackened and shrunk down to charred bones, lay among the rubble, just another piece of wood at first sight. It sported long claws, the fingers were longer than human ones. "Wraith" John whispered. His eyes followed the outlines of the burnt arm into the ruins. A body, half buried under the weight of the collapsing beams holding the roof. Another one, nailed by a scythe to planks turned into charcoal. And a third body reduced to scattered limbs, like twigs held into a flame, crumpled next to the still standing stone chimney. Pale skull could be seen through the flesh that had peeled away from a face that once had belonged to a human, not a Wraith. One withered hand, a raven's claw, held the remnants of a broken lamp, intricate bronze metalwork and shattered glass.

He stepped back, swallowing. In flashes, the pictures before him were overshadowed by older ones, another land of never-ceasing wind, burning hot in summer, burning cold in winter, ever burning, consumed by a hungry, fierce flame.

He turned around and hastily took some steps away from the scene, around the corner, closing his eyes for a second. When he opened them, he saw the garden behind the house. It had been beautiful once. Small bushes. A lawn. Flowers, some in beds, some in pots made of honey-colored clay. A tree, resembling a magnolia, stood at the center. Heat had taken the life from its petals, left only ephemeral remnants slowly dissipating in the wind. The bushes had been trampled, the flowers had turned into small skeletons, withered leaves reaching for the dying magnolia.

And in this garden, among the bushes and the flowers and the grass, almost indistinguishable from the intertwined brambles, leaves and dead wood, lay three dried up skeletal corpses, too small for adults.

He stood there, silent, for maybe half a minute. Only when he heard Ronon's steps behind him, he could avert his eyes. "We. Leave. Now" he said.


	9. Rain

_It's been quite some time. A year? I don't bother checking it but this was probably the longest hiatus on a story ever. I had half of this chapter finished when I stopped updating and only a friend with a sudden interest in this story somehow reawakened my own interest in this. So instead of going to work early I finished this and put it up. And I do hope I'll be able to finish ist, finally._

_Of course, my beta, bluetoads, kind of left me or rather I left her when I stopped writing, so there will probably be a lot more mistakes than in the last few chapters, my apologies for that. Oh, and still don't own anything._

Teyla's eyes were questioning when they returned, but she kept silent. McKay seemed to have zoned out, staring blankly at the ruins.

"We leave" Sheppard repeated. Ani Dhia nodded and gestured for the Damay to leave. Ahn Doa touched Ea Lhin softly on the shoulder and she turned around, blinking hurriedly, fiddling with the bone ring on her thumb. Again, they walked the path in silence, Ani Dhia first, her back straight, fingers never leaving the bowstring. She seemed taught like the animal's sinew strung on her weapon, like she would snap if touched.

John decided he didn't care. With long strides, pushing branches aside, he caught up with her.

"Four dead people" he said. "Three of them children."

She stared straight ahead, her features unreadable. "There must have been more", she said. "A family of coal burners – at least one adult more. The Hunter's take us and who disappears never returns."

"I _know_" John said. "That's not the point. The point is, they burned the house down themselves. Three Wraith – Hunters – dead."

She nodded. "Three for maybe five." Suddenly she glanced at him and something dark burned in her eyes, a challenge. "What is wrong with that?"

"You said these were peaceful people."

Several more steps, Damay and the rest of the Atlantis team behind, listening. A gnarly misshapen tree forced John to step into the line behind Ani Dhia for a moment. When he returned to her side, she seemed perfectly controlled and calm again. "They are. They do not usually own weapons or use them. But almost anything can be turned into a weapon."

"If you know how, yes. But how did some… coal burners know how to bring down Wraith who are _very_ hard to kill? And burning down your own house just to trap them in the fire along with yourself…"

"Peaceful people" Ani Dhia repeated flatly. "But there is something we are told almost every day, no matter if Damay, Shualay, or any other people. _Vona'mar naan Syia-vo anan annuan en_." Her voice changed to the sing-song John had started to recognize as the sound of Ancient words. "Every single one of us is a soldier in the King's army."

"_Who_ ist that King?" Sheppard asked, anger flaring. He was sick of this pseudo-religious sidestepping of any direct question. Princesses, Kings, Holy Cities… Hunters. They did not even call the Wraith Wraith.

Instead of answering, Ani Dhia gazed upward to the sky hidden mostly behind the crowns of the trees above. "It will rain soon", she said calmly, brushing aside a branch. Sheppard stopped dead and grabbed her sleeve, turning her around. With a quick movement, she twisted her arm around and the bowstring hit his wrist hard anough to hurt for a moment – like slapping a kid's hand away from the cookie jar.

Everyone stopped and tension was in the air, both Damay and Atlanteans hands on their weapons, eyeing each other.

"Answer my question", Sheppard said, withdrawing his hand. "If we're gonna follow you through this… _madness _I've got to know more than 'We need you'. So – who is your King."

Ani Dhia's eyes were small slits, her fingers twitched. "It is something we do not like to discuss in open", she said, her voice cold.

"Well, I don't _care_" John snarled. "So?"

San Sia hissed, then lowered her bow. "Fools. At least keep on moving." She nudged Ahn Doa, who glowered at John, then shrugged and started moving again. Ea Lhin, still an absent look in her green eyes, and Gia Dhan stepped around John without making a sound. The older Damay woman shook her head and went last.

The Atlantean team all watched John. He nodded for them to follow the steppe people and they did, although Teyla shot him a worried glance as she did so. Ani Dhia threw her thick ponytail of blonde hair back with a quick movement of her head, then snorted. A grim smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, some inner fight obviously won or lost.

"The King" she said and started walking again. "Once ruled our peoples and he will again." Sheppard followed and caught up with her. The path became wider and there was enough space for two or even three people walking side by side. Up front he saw Ea Lhin fall back and softly touch Rodney's shoulder. The scientist jumped and probably threw a sarcastic remark her way, but the Damay girl stubbornly stayed with him.

"He was a man of great power, sky and earth bowed to his will and followed his command. He filled the night with lightning, flew among the clouds and raised the spires of the Holy City with a single word. He first gave the peoples of this world shelter from the Hunters. But although he commanded the powers of all elements known to man, the masses of the Hunters drove him back step by step and we died. Taken as fodder to the cities residing among the stars."

Ani Dhia's eyes were distand, her voice had taken on the rhythm of someone reciting a poem. "So he decided to share his power with us. We became a smaller part of him and he turned us into an army. Every one took up arms, every one swore an oath to slay the Hunters whenever they came to this world. He remade us from herd to hunter, from victim to soldier. And we fought the Hunters on ground and in the sky."

A light, hissing sound started to envelop the woods. Drops on foliage.

"They had to withdraw. They left this world and we were left to live in peace. But the King, tired of the war, lay down to sleep and renew his strength. He left one designated line of sons and daughters who guard his throne and keep the Holy City alive. Out of his dreams, he sometimes speaks to them und thus is always with us, even in his sleep of centuries and millenia."

Cold droplets finally found their way though leaves and branches and fell down on the Damay and Atlanteans slowly making their way through the woods. Ani Dhia drew a deep breath and Sheppard realized that the rain had immediately changed the smell of the forest. The smell of burnt wood and flesh was gone, instead there were the light fragrances of wet foliage and bark, of earth and clear water.

"Princes and Princesses never rule, they only guard the throne and speak in the name of the King until he awakes again. And" her eyes left the distant spot she had been staring at to focus on John, "it is said he will awaken when one of the Blood of Kings, a brother or sister, comes to us by the King's path. And this one" she lifted her hand to lightly touch his arm, "is you."

Sheppard moved his arm away. The woman seemed more and more like a shizophreniac to him. A _religious_ shizophreniac. "I don't know of any kings and their blood" he said and turned away from her. Up front, McKay craned his neck to glance at him questioningly, Ea Lhin by his side.

Ani Dhia kept on watching him for several steps more, her silent gaze fixed upon him with an expression that clearly said '_I know better_'. "We will see" she finally said and sped up to take the lead again, while Rodney somehow managed to wrestle his hand from Ea Lhin's to fall back to where Sheppard kept up the rear.

"Soo..." he began and Sheppard could sense a long string of sarcastic jokes coming his way and simply waved it away. McKay was probably about to start anyway, but they were saved by the path leaving the forest. The rain hit them directly now without the protective branches above and Rodney sputtered when the water splashed into his face and mouth, drawing his shoulders up like a tortoise retreating into its shell.

The landscape dipped down and quickly turned into small fenced-in meadows and vegetable patches, all arranged neatly down the sloping hillsides. Everything was a matted grey, hidden behind curtains and veils of rain that beat down the grass and burst into clouds of tiniest droplets on the wooden fences. The sound of the rain also drowned out any noise that might have been part of the village life down in the small settlement nestled into the crook of a tiny river that wound its way through the hills.

Everything seemed so very normal that it was almost a shock after the skeleton of the burnt-down house hidden in the woods behind them. But again there was the unnerving absence of any living thing. No animals grazing on the meadows. No dogs or whatever might be their equivalent on this planet in the tiny, muddy streets. Not even lights inside the wooden buildings.

Sheppard hoped it was just the rain, that the sudden downpour had driven man and cattle inside and they had not yet bothered to light candles and lamps. That somehow, miraculously, the Wraith had overlooked this place while digging up the coalers' houses in the forest.

The group had stopped at the ridge to look down upon the village and Sheppard nudged Teyla lightly. She shook her head. "No difference" she whispered. "They are in orbit, but none are close by."

As if this had been the signal, the Damay started walking again. They seemed highly uncomfortable on foot in the rain, especially with their weapons out of the protective quivers, but they also seemed uninclined to put the bows away. Instead, they all had them ready, although half hidden under their arms by their sides.

Sheppard nodded and his team also started down the slope, every now and then slipping a little in the mud of the path. They were silent as the land around them, the patter and hissing of rain the only sound all around them, whispering like a living thing. They passed the first rows of fences and still there was no sign of life, not even a hint that someone had been around just a few minutes ago.

When they walked past the vegetable patches, Sheppard could not help but notice that although they were very well kept, small bundles of weeds had sprung up among the fat red cabbages or whatever it was the people were growing there. No one had worked on those fields. At least not in the last few days.

He exchanged quick glances with the rest of his team and while Rodney mostly looked uncomfortable, Teyla and Ronon were both clearly worried. "This place is dead" said the large Satedan, frowning. "Just like the last. No fire, but all the people are gone." He slowly unholstered his precious weapon, his eyes darting around, searching for something in the grey shades of rain.

They entered the small settlement and the Damay began to knock on doors, enter the houses.

"Thank god" hissed McKay and huddled in an entrance, trying to skim off the water in his face with his bare hands. Without a word and an obviously forced smile, Ea Lhin gave him a small piece of cloth hidden somewhere inside her clothes that miraculously had managed to stay dry. Sheppard turned away with a wry smile and walked down the main street or rather the main dirtroad that had turned into mud. The ground made sucking noises with every step and he grimaced – mostly they managed to visit other worlds during good weather. There was rain and storms enough back in Atlantis.

The dirt road led down to the river that was already swelling with rainwater and there was a somewhat rickety wooden bridge spanning the riverbed. On the far side the road continued, winding up another slope to disappear in the rain. On his side, smaller alleys branched off where houses almost touched each other and water fell in thick sheets from the eaves.

Still – no one there. Sheppard stopped a few steps in front of the bridge and blinked against the rain in his face, taking a look around. It was then that he saw something in the mud, just next to the first plank of the bridge. Something shiny and definitely out of place in all this mud and wood. He walked over and picked it up, his eyes suddenly growing wide.

It was a small disk, one that he knew very well. He had seen a similar one on Teyla's neck often enough after she had joined the Atlanteans. His first instinct was to throw it away but he knew it was definitely too late. Just by touching it or even being close to it, he had already activated the small device.

"Everyone, move out!" he bellowed. "Leave! NOW!"

Ani Dhia appeared in a doorway, a puzzled frown on her face. The Atlantis team started moving towards him, but then another noise broke through the voice of the rain. The screeching sound of a Wraith engine or rather of several engines, climbing higher with the Doppler-effect while coming closer, hidden somewhere in the grey sky.

"Hunters!" snapped Ani Dhia and suddenly everyone was moving, Ea Lhin grabbed Rodney and disappeared down an alley, ignoring his protest – and then Teyla was by Sheppard's side.

"I should have felt them moving" she apologized, eyes wide but still calm and collected, the way she always was, no matter what happened. "Where to?"

Sheppard cursed, cursed the Damay and their quickness even out of the saddle and knee-deep in mud. "Find Rodney!" he ordered and both Teyla and Ronon, several steps away, nodded, setting off down the narrow alleys as the Wraith darts came swooping down the hillside, throwing out glittering nets of light that left drones on the meadows and fields.


End file.
